Lygephila lubrosa lubrosa (Staudinger, 1901)

Pekarsky, Oleg, 2014, Taxonomic studies of the Lygephila lubrica (Freyer, 1842) species complex with notes on other species in the genus (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Toxocampinae), ZooKeys 452, pp. 107-129 : 110-114

Lygephila lubrosa lubrosa (Staudinger, 1901) Figs 17, 18

Toxocampa lubrica var. lubrosa Staudinger, 1901, Catalog der Lepidopteren des Palaearctischen Faunengebietes. I: 252. (TL: [Kazakhstan], Ili, [Kyrgyzstan, Issyk Kul], "Iss. K.")

Type material examined.

Neotype (here designated) male, Kazakhstan, Ili river valley near bridge 23,4 km asimut 222 from Koktal, 600 m, N43°58'004", E79°35'905", 04.07.2010, leg. S.K. Korb, slide No. OP2082m (coll. O. Pekarsky, deposited in HNHM Budapest).

Additional material examined.

1 ♂, with same data as neotype; 1 ♂ & 1 ♀, Kazakhstan, Ili river valley near Koktal, 506 m, N43°57'57.50", E79°36'1.06", 03.07.2010, leg. S.K. Korb, slide No. OP2489f (coll. O. Pekarsky); 1 ♀, [Kazakhstan], Syr-Daria, Baigacum, Koshantschikoff, 23.6.1913, 4/7, ex. coll. Püngeler, slide No. OP1979f (coll. MNHU); 1 ♂, [Kazakhstan], Aj-Darle, Syr-Darja, 25.V.1909, leg. Koshantshikoff, slide No. 0325Matov (coll. ZISP).

Taxonomy.

Described by Staudinger in 1901 as a variation of Lygephila lubrica ; with the type locality mentioned as [Kazakhstan], Ili [river] and [Kyrgyzstan], Issyk Kul [lake]. The original description stated that the forewings are pale grey ( “cinereo-griseis”) without dark outer part, and that the hindwings are ochreous with broad marginal fascia. This description corresponds exactly with the external appearance of the moths from Ili river in Kazakhstan, therefore the neotype is designated from this area. Moths from Issyk Kul show, however, marked differences in habitus, especially the brown coloration of most parts of the forewings. These two taxa are different in genital structures of both sexes, which are discussed in detail under Lygephila kazachkaratavika . Starting from the 1980's, Stshetkin YuL treated Lygephila lubrosa in his publications as a distinct species ( Stshetkin et al. 1988, Stshetkin 1991). The explanation of this act was given only in 1994 [1997] by Stshetkin YuL & Stshetkin YuYu. Their argumentation was based only on the original description of Lygephila lubrosa , but neither the type material nor the genitalia of the syntypes were studied. Unfortunately, the authors evidently failed in their taxonomic interpretation of the species complex. They were correct to suppose Lygephila lubrosa Staudinger, 1901 is a separate taxon different from Lygephila lubrica , but they failed to define this taxon, and did not recognize that the yellowish hindwinged populations include two different species.

The main fault of the Stshetkins’ work is the lack of definition of Lygephila lubrosa Staudinger, 1901. In their article they provided the following description of the genitalia of Lygephila lubrosa : “Гениталии самца симметричные. Ункус слабо изогнутый, расширенный в средней части, заостренный. Вальвы удлинённые с немного выпуклыми дорзальными и вентральными краями. Вершинный отросток класпера пальцеобразный, длиннее, чем у Lygephila lubrica ; его конец находится близ дорзального края вальвы ( у Lygephila lubrica он далеко не достигает края). Конец вальвы от основания этого отростка до его заднего конца заметно короче, чем у Lygephila lubrica . В оральной трети длины вальвы продольная хитинизированная складка класпера, направляясь орально, плавно прогибается несколько к вентральному краю вальвы и при этом не образует резкого угла с бугорком-гарпой, имеющегося у Lygephila lubrica Frr. Нижняя фультура под эдеагусом без особого изгиба прямо идет в сторону саккуса, как у Lygephila lusoria L." The translation of this text is as follows: "The male genitalia are symmetrical. Uncus slightly curved, dilated in the middle part, pointed. Valva elongated with slightly convex dorsal and ventral edges. Apex of clasper digitiform, longer than that of Lygephila lubrica ; its end close to the dorsal margin of the valva (as for Lygephila lubrica , the latter is far from reaching the margin). The end of the valva from the base of the clasper till its back end is noticeably longer than that of Lygephila lubrica . In the oral [basal] third of the valva, the longitudinal chitinized fold of the clasper is directed orally [basally] and is slightly curved towards the ventral margin of the valva without forming an abrupt angle with the hump-harpe, which is typical for Lygephila lubrica Frr. Lower fultura [juxta] under aedeagus almost straight and directed towards the saccus as Lygephila lusoria L." This description is contradictory as it includes characteristics of both yellow hindwinged species occurring in Central Asia. To be precise, "Uncus dilated in the middle part" is only typical for the moth ( Lygephila kazachkaratavika ) from Kyrgyzstan (lake Issyk Kul) and Kazakhstan (city of Kizilorda and station Baigacum on the river Syr Darja) (Figs 37, 38); "Apex of clasper digitiform and longer than that of Lygephila lubrica ; its end close to the dorsal margin of the valva" is only typical for the moths ( Lygephila lubrosa ) from Kazakhstan (river Ili) and Tajikistan (river Pianj) (Figs 33 - 36). The female genitalia are described as follows: “В гениталиях самки копулятивная сумка мешковидная и вместе с едва заметным бугорком-буллой вся перепончатая ( у Lygephila lubrica булла конусовидная, хитинизированная, как и весь проток и часть сумки). Проток сумки значительно короче, его оральная часть перепончатая”. The translation is as follows: "In the female genitalia the copulative pouch [corpus bursae] is saccular and all membranous along with a barely noticeable bulla (while the bulla of Lygephila lubrica is conical and chitinized as well as the whole antrum and part of the pouch [corpus bursae]). The antrum is significantly shorter with membranous oral [basal] part." The characteristics mentioned as "the antrum is significantly shorter than that of Lygephila lubrica " partially corresponds to the moths from the Ili region. However, it is not diagnostic because in many specimens of Lygephila lubrica the antrum has the same length. The antrum of the moths ( Lygephila kazachkaratavika ) from the Issyk Kul region and the river Syr-Darja is one and a half times longer than that of Lygephila lubrica and two times longer than that of the moths from the valley of the river Ili ( Lygephila lubrosa ). The other characteristics mentioned by the authors are general, non-autapomorphic and unsuitable for determination.

In the same work the authors described two subspecies of Lygephila lubrosa on the basis of external characteristics, admitting that the two subspecies do not differ in genitalia structure from the nominotypical subspecies. However, the moths from the Kazakh Karatau, station Balamurum collected by V. Kozhantshikov in 1909 ( Lygephila kazachkaratavika ) differ significantly in their genitalia structure from the moths from the valleys of the river Ili ( Lygephila lubrosa lubrosa ) and the river Pianj ( Lygephila lubrosa orbonaria ). All above-mentioned data prove that the authors did not consider the subject of their research, which caused unsatisfactory results and added further difficulties for the clarification of this species-complex. A further difficulty is that the authors did not define holotypes or paratypes (or simply type series) for the newly described taxa. According to the information from the museum curators of ZISP and IZIP, they do not possess the aforesaid type specimens with the corresponding type labels.

In order to correctly identify the taxa of this species complex, in view of complexity of the current taxonomic situation, and to give an accurate definition of Lygephila lubrosa , it is necessary to designate a neotype of this taxon.

Diagnosis.

Easily distinguishable from all other members of the species group by its unicolorous grey forewings. Comparing the genital structures of the taxa of the group, it differs from all related species by the narrow uncus without a real dilatation (only some slight thickening is present), the wide valva, and the subapically located, strong clasper with its tip reaching the valval edge (males); and by the funnel-shaped antrum bent dorsally at 45 degrees, being a unique female character for the whole genus (Fig. 60).

Description.

Wingspan 42-46 mm. Head and body grey with some brownish scales; collar chocolate brown. Forewing almost unicolorous, wing pattern poorly developed; subbasal line hardly traceable, represented by groups of dark scales on veins; antemedial line semicircular; medial shade not expressed; reniform stigma small, indistinct, with one or two black dots basad; orbicular stigma small dot-like; postmedial and subterminal lines distinct; terminal line a row of black dots on veins. Hindwing pale ochreous; transverse line not discernible; outer dark third with sharply defined inner margin; fringes ochreous.

Male genitalia (Figs 33, 34, 44, 45). Uncus long, stout, slightly thickened medially with skewed fine tip, anal tube membranous with oval hardening of tissue - scaphial crown on scaphium and sclerotized fig on subscaphium; valva elongated, wide, with parallel margins in the middle, valval apex rounded; clasper digitiform, strong, thickened with wide base, placed subapically, asymmetrical, left one shorter than the right one, both almost reach valval costa. Aedeagus tubular with narrow, long, acute sclerotised lamina on ventral side of carina. Vesica globular, multidiverticulate, membranous; basal diverticulum small; medial diverticulum large with small lateral hemispherical bulging; 1st terminal diverticulum large, more or less wedge shaped, membranous with cauliflower-like part bearing numerous small pockets; 2nd terminal diverticulum large, cone shaped, scobinated on top; 3rd terminal diverticulum medium-sized, bifurcated, Y-shaped; 4th terminal diverticulum large, bilobate, located oppositely to the 3rd medial diverticulum; terminal tube membranous as long as aedeagus, opening point of terminal tube located near to carina.

Female genitalia (Figs 58 - 61). Ovipositor relatively large, broad, papillae anales hairy with long setae on apical edges. Apophyses anteriores stout, apophyses posteriores thin, longer than apophyses anteriores. Antrum funnel shaped, bent dorsally at 45 degrees, boomerang shaped from lateral view; ostium bursae broad, posterior margin U-shaped; ductus bursae medium sized; appendix bursae small; corpus bursae membranous, bevelled oval.

Destribution.

Kazakhstan, valley of the river Ili.